Advocacy

The decision to breastfeed is a personal one, and a mother should not be made to feel guilty if she cannot or chooses not to breastfeed. The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers and policy makers. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and children, it is critical that we take action across the country to support breastfeeding. What can you do to help?

Public policy strongly influences breastfeeding success. Too many women struggle with roadblocks to breastfeeding success. These obstacles can be addressed with legislation, policy, regulations, by writing to insurance companies, and by working directly with employers and hospitals. Let your voice be heard – we need you to advocate for breastfeeding families! It is very important that our elected officials, state health departments, hospital executives, employers, and insurers hear the public ask for better breastfeeding support.

Employment:

Work toward establishing paid maternity leave for all employed mothers.

Ensure that employers establish and maintain comprehensive, high-quality lactation support programs for their employees.

Expand the use of programs in the workplace that allow lactating mothers to have direct access to their babies.

Ensure that all child care providers accommodate the needs of breastfeeding mothers and infants.

Research and Surveillance:

Increase funding of high-quality research on breastfeeding.

Strengthen existing capacity and develop future capacity for conducting research on breastfeeding.

Develop a national monitoring system to improve the tracking of breastfeeding rates as well as the policies and environmental factors that affect breastfeeding.

Public Health Infrastructure:

Improve national leadership on the promotion and support of breastfeeding.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2011.